The Hugo Award, first presented in 1953, celebrates the best in the field of science fiction and fantasy. 3,319 voters made their selection from the final ballot, the third-highest number in the history of the award.

This year’s Hugo base was designed by Eeva Jokinen, a Finnish ceramics artist.

Best Novel

The Obelisk Gate, byN. K. Jemisin (Orbit Books)

Best Novella

Every Heart a Doorway, by Seanan McGuire (Tor.com publishing)

Best Novelette

“The Tomato Thief”, by Ursula Vernon (Apex Magazine, January 2016)

Best Short Story

“Seasons of Glass and Iron”, by Amal El-Mohtar (The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales, Saga Press)

SFFANZ News usually publishes these results in order to highlight the Kiwis who have been winning awards on the other side of the Tasman. This year however, there isn’t really anything to report in that area. So instead, here are a couple of highlights from these awards that may interest NZ readers…

Kaaron Warren’s The Grief Hole won the best novel Ditmar. Kaaron was a high profile attendee at the recently completed NZ Natcon Lexicon in Taupo. Kaaron has already been shoulder tapped to be a guest at the 2019 NZ Natcon (GeyserCon) in Rotorua. Of particular note here is that The Grief Hole has now won an Australian Shadows award, an Aurealis award and now a Ditmar award. Possibly a unique treble.

Rose Mitchell was presented the Peter McNamara Achievement Award. Rose is a former FFANZ delegate known to many NZ fans. She was most recently a guest at SmofCon South held in Wellington last year.

The World SF convention this year is in Finland. Over on their FB page, they are asking for people to write about fandom in their own countries. Is there anybody out there who is interested in representing the kiwi expression of fandom to the rest of the world? This is what they say…
Call for article writers! Want to write a very small article (300 words max) about fandom in your country? We also need help collecting the names of regional groups or national groups, and regional and national conventions from 14 Augusti 2017 – 15 August 2018.
Contact vesa.sisatto@worldcon.fi. Deadline is 15 June!

The finalists for the 2017 Hugo Awards have been announced! You can read the full list here. For those looking for an NZ connection, Seanan McGuire’s name appears twice – she is of course the Guest of Honour at Lexicon, the 2017 NZ National SF&F Convention.

No sooner does one fan fund race finish, than another one comes along. The following message has just came in…

“NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN FOR THE 2017 DUFF RACE!
The Down Under Fan Fund will send one lucky fan from North America to Australia to attend Continuum 13, the Australian National Convention, being held in Melbourne 9-12 June, 2017. We are looking for fun, outgoing fans to participate in this 44 year old fannish cultural exchange by visiting Australia and New Zealand, meeting lots of people, attending cons, and returning home to run the fan fund for the next two years. Are you that fan? Know of anyone who is? Send your nomination to Lucy Huntzinger at downunderfanfund@gmail.com by January 22nd, 2017.”

So if you know anybody in North America you think should come down under next year them give them a prod.